2009 Award Winners
1. Showtech Australia Employer of the Year - Sport & Recreation, Art & Culture
Belgravia Health and Leisure Group
Over the past 5 – 6 year the Belgravia Health and Leisure has consistently supported skills development in the sports and recreation sectors through a commitment to traineeships. At any one time Belgravia will have somewhere in the vicinity of 50 – 60 trainees in Victoria. Belgravia Leisure is a specialist management group that currently operates 50 leisure facilities throughout Australia. Belgravia Leisure has sought and attracted some of the best people in the industry. We have a team of quality personnel with years of experience in gaining the best result for your facilities. The collective knowledge and expertise of this combined team of over 800 – 900 staff (in Victoria) is applied to benefit each of these facilities and our clients. The majority of Trainees complete a Certificate IV in Sports and Recreation with others completing Certificate III in Fitness and Community Recreation. The training program is contextualised to fit with relevant vocational outcomes including specialisations in Frontline Sales at a Certificate II level through to level IV Marketing and Sales Plans. Traineeships also incorporate Pool Lifeguard courses, AUSTswim and other relevant industry recognised training. Trainees are also provided with extensive professional development opportunities including industry presentations on health and effective work.
2. IBSA Outstanding Vocational Student of the Year - Arts & Culture
Les Zigomanis – Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing , NMIT
Les came to NMITs Professional writing and editing course with a history of writing and after overcoming a personal illness. He began writing in at fourteen, and by seventeen had completed his first book, completely handwritten. After trying his hand in different fields, including fiction writing and screenwriting, Les decided to go back to school and enrolled in the Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing at NMIT. During the two years doing this course, Les was involved with NMIT’s course journal - INfusion, Flat Chat Press - the publishing arm of the professional writing and editing course, including the redevelopment of their Style Guide. Les also performed his work placement with Leader newspapers, having several feature articles published. Through these opportunities, Les has gained practical hands-on experience that he is able to list on his CV. One of Les’ teachers even had this to say about him, “Without a doubt, Les is the most talented editor I have taught during my four years with the course, and one of the most gifted I have come across in over twenty years as a published writer. He combines high critical intelligence with an eye for detail and an understanding and appreciation of style and structure.”
3. Service Skills Australia Outstanding Vocational Student of the Year - Sports & Recreation
Thomas Allamby– Certificate IV in Fitness , Holmesglen TAFE
Thomas Allamby has completed a Certificate IV in Fitness at the Holmesglen Institute of TAFE. Thomas has already completed a dual Diploma of Sport and Recreation/Event Management and a Certificate III in Fitness. Thomas was born with Spina Bifida and has been confined to a wheel chair, but does not see himself as disabled. A constant inspiration to his classmates, Thomas is always up for a challenge and gives everything a try in the very physically demanding course of Fitness. Through his various courses at TAFE, Thomas has developed well rounded skills in verbal and written communication, marketing and finance. With this knowledge, Thomas aspires to implement these skills in his own personal training business. Passionate about the issue of growing levels of obesity in children and type two diabetes, Thomas is committed to counteracting unhealthy lifestyles by motivating children and young adults to take part in sporting activities.
4. IBSA Trainee/Apprentice of the Year - Arts & Culture
Anthony Lawang Certificate IV in Arts Administration, The Gordon Institute of TAFE
Anthony is enrolled in a traineeship for the Certificate IV in Arts Administration with Pan Event Entertainment / Cultural Infusion, an events management company based in Collingwood, Melbourne with offices around Australia. His training provider is the Creative Business Enterprise, Gordon Institute of TAFE, Geelong. Anthony’s employment has been a gateway to work with the community at a higher level than previously possible, where he has been a performer and teacher of Hip Hop and Break-dancing. The company provides him with great opportunities to work in the youth arts sector through events and touring and allows him to develop skills in administration and event management. He has combined work commitments with artistic and creative endeavors as a break-dancer and is particularly interested in the possibilities of combining contemporary dance idioms with traditional Balinese and Indonesian styles. Pan Event has also provided him with a venue, and with encouragement, to organize regular Break-dance competitions and workshops. By developing skills in fund-raising, in project management and budgeting, he has learnt a great deal about how to successfully present shows and to work constructively with Art professionals. Through training, he has developed personal confidence in dealing with both artistic and technical personnel associated with tours and with major events.
5. Service Skills Australia Trainee/Apprentice of the Year - Sports & Recreation
Yuta Kobayashi- Certificate III and IV in Sports and Recreation , Swinburne University TAFE
Yuta completed a two year traineeship at Swinburne University and Vocational Training Provider and accomplished a certificate III and IV in Sports and Recreation. The hands-on traineeship was completed with the Australian Football League and The Essendon Football Club through the AFL SportsReady program. During the two year traineeship Yuta felt there were many benefits including on the job training and an opportunity to learn directly from the industries most knowledgeable figures. Through the traineeship Yuta has had many career and study achievements. Most noticeably taking part in a program to encourage and develop the Australian Football in Kolkata (Calcutta) India. The program was developed to identify 20 players to participate in the AFL international cup. After completion of the traineeship Yuta was offered a full time position at the Carlton Football Club as a community and sponsorship executive which he accepted and has maintained for the past five months.
6. Skills Victoria Industry Training Initiative of the Year - Sport & Recreation, Art & Culture
Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE, BRIT
With the theme 'Icons of Bendigo' in mind, the concept was developed by students in Visual Arts at B.R.I.T to make 4 Hippocampuses, like those found in the fountain on the iconic Alexandra fountain in the centre of the city. In mythology the hippocampus means the ‘bearers of water'. The students all agreed that to symbolically bringing water to Bendigo was a sound notion.
Interactive digital arts students worked on providing sound and light for the exhibit. The Graphic Design students worked on a large illustration so as to represent the indigenous species and their need for access to water. Bendigo is a city in the forest; the native species in the region are to be valued and are certainly an iconic feature of Bendigo's landscape.
The training initiative comprised of coordinating the production, combining learning outcomes relevant to, and across three courses to complete a community based project within 8 weeks.
The torchlight procession is a major part of Bendigo's Easter Fair celebrations. This year the procession was geared toward celebrating the heroic and gallant efforts of the districts fire fighters and valuing the people who protect our community in the past and especially after Black Saturday. The torchlight procession is an annual event, a major tourist attraction and has been operating for approximately 100 years in the community.
7. Skills Victoria Vocational Training Provider of the Year - Sports & Recreation, Art & Culture
Swinburne Institute of Technology TAFE Division
The Swinburne Sport and Recreation Network objective is to deliver exceptional training in Sport Development, Sport and Recreation, Outdoor Recreation, Massage and Fitness. The integrative nature of the Swinburne University Sport & Recreation vocational education training program provides students with a flexible range of opportunities to train in a commercial environment and provide real time services in sport, recreation, massage and fitness to a diverse client group. This is achieved through a real business environment conducted through the Swinburne Sports Centre and the Outdoor Education Group. This enhances the programs capacity to prepare students for management, marketing, fitness, sport development and outdoor recreation roles. It empowers them to apply the underpinning knowledge they learn, into a live, dynamic and physically immediate setting.
8. Victorian Aboriginal Education Association, VAEAI Indigenous Vocational Student/Trainee/Apprentice of the Year - Sport & Recreation, Art & Culture
Samantha Hills- Certificate III in Sport and Recreation, Victoria University School of Sport and Science
Samantha is currently employed by the School of Sport and Science in the faculty of Workforce Development at Victoria University. She is also enrolled in Certificate III in Sports and Recreation with Victoria University and coordinates business related activities which helps her further develop leadership skills. Samantha is also involved in the Adapted Program which enables her to work with students in running physical activities for adults and children with a disability.
She has chosen this industry pathway as she has always appreciated the Sport and Recreation sectors since a young age and is passionate about not only participating herself but also encouraging others to partake in a sport or recreation activity.
Samantha has only just began her career in the industry and looks forward to not only meeting the challenges she will face in the industry but to also progress and further her career pathway in the industry.
9. Victorian Aboriginal Education Association, VAEAI Indigenous Vocational Training Initiative of the Year - Sport & Recreation, Art & Culture
City of Port Phillip with Open Channel
Supported by ACFE Community Learning Partnerships 2008, the INDIGENOUS FILMMAKER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM is a program which trains indigenous participants in the skills of Documentary filmmaking, culminating in audio‐visual documentation of an Indigenous festival and attainment of a Certificate III in Media qualification. Along with production skills and the qualification, participants achieve onsite festival experience, extend their professional industry networks, and gain a national screen credit through a broadcast arrangement with Indigenous broadcaster National Indigenous Television (NITV). The workshop is a partnership between ACE provider Blue Sky Media, festival producers the City of Port Phillip and Registered Training Organisation and course facilitators/Producers OPEN CHANNEL .
There is a minimal amount of skilled Indigenous film makers and producers within the Southern regional catchment and Melbourne metropolitan area. The program is designed to increase skills of local Indigenous participants within the film, media and entertainment industry. It establishes a future mechanism to engage with local Indigenous community members to document stories, issues and culturally relevant material strengthening the community identity.
Designed for participants with little or no experience in video production, this course provided an intensive, hands‐on introduction to the fundamental skills required to make short films, focusing on the documentary genre.
This is the first time a training scheme like this has been offered to the Southern region. Access to quality film and media training, documenting a major positive Indigenous festival and a national screen credit are an innovative step towards the capacity for solid community and industry leadership. The project provides a voice to a marginalised community, employment skills and an opportunity to reflect a positive documentary on the Indigenous community.
10. Verve VET in Schools Excellence Award - Sport & Recreation, Art & Culture
Smart Connection Company
Smart Connection Company (SCC) is a registered training organisation based in South Melbourne, Victoria. The company focuses on the niche market of leisure, recreation and sport and delivers training primarily into the local government and non-profit sectors. Recently SCC has also ventured into working with small business owners operating in the sport and recreation sector such as swim schools or martial arts schools.
It is a challenging environment as SCC deals with a wide range of clients- small business entrepreneurs, large Councils, national management companies and non-profit organisations. In addition the environment in which these clients operate vary greatly from small 'halls' to huge leisure facilities which while may be privately managed are predominantly Council owned.
The wider aims of Smart Connection Company include a desire to 'contribute to the health and wellness of the wider Australian community'. In many cases repeat business is almost entirely reliant on the skills and knowledge of the individual who is teaching, leading or motivating the customer.
One of the key challenges in the leisure industry is the skills shortage particularly for lifeguards and swimming teachers. SCC has designed its courses to enable employers to incorporate these essential vocational qualifications into wider Certificate IIIl and IV qualifications.
Smart Connection Company has been advocating for many years that training has to be seen as a priority to maintain a standard for the end user and we have been instrumental in developing new training frameworks with peak bodies to enable this to happen.
